


coffee dates and tutor sessions

by nochues



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Oikawa Tooru, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Gay Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Math Tutor Oikawa Tooru, Part-Time Barista Kageyama Tobio, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Slow Burn, but there are so many angsty fics in this tag i just wanted to give it something lighthearted T_T, im weak for oikawa with glasses, ive watched a lot of kdramas and it may show in this fic LOL, not that sexualities are a focus in this those r just my headcanons lol, therell be smut i promise but until then. yea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:55:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23827957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nochues/pseuds/nochues
Summary: caffeine-driven oikawa tooru, a bio major, studies frequently at his favorite, local coffee shop on-campus. one day, he meets a recently employed barista, and immediately gets a crush.first-year student kageyama tobio is working at a coffee shop for his work-study job. he needs help with his statistics homework, even if that means asking for help from that flirty upperclassman who's known for sleeping around.-stay tuned for irregularly scheduled updates ;D
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 40
Kudos: 154





	1. Dalgona

**Author's Note:**

> pls i know this is a cliche but i've never written a coffee shop au before pls let me have fun T_T

Oikawa's mind was a blank slate.

Oh, _fuck_.

It was the middle of the fall semester--also known as the hell period of midterm exams--and here Oikawa was, just _trying_ to order some coffee for an extra caffeine boost, when he makes eye-contact with the barista.

He stared, dumbly, only for his thoughts to be jump-started when the barista hesitantly repeated, "Um... your order, please?"

 _This was so fucking unfair_ , Oikawa thought. He was a regular at their campus's local coffee shop for three years now, and he was friends with--or at least, was a familiar face to--practically all of the baristas. Even as the new employees rolled in, none of them were particularly difficult to talk to. They'd ask for his order, he'd tell it to them, they'd make it for him, and then he'd go on his study dates with Iwaizumi at a table by the window, studying bio together.

But this barista was both new and irritatingly handsome--words didn't slip out of Oikawa's mouth as easy, upon meeting him. His black hair, albeit looking slightly unkempt, seemed so _soft_ , and his jawline looked so frustratingly _sharp_ , and his eyes--

_You have to start talking, you idiot!_

Oikawa gave him one of the sweetest smiles he could make, hoping that the warm flush on his cheeks wasn't visible. "Oh, sorry! One dalgona, and one iced americano, please."

The barista nodded his head, looking up thoughtfully as if he was internally reciting the directions on how to make each order. Then, he met Oikawa's gaze, again giving a slight nod. "Alright, I'll get it ready in a minute."

That was when the other barista--Azumane Asahi, one of Oikawa's batchmates--who was presently prepping a mixture for tiramisu, called out, "Kageyama, don't forget to smile! You don't want to scare your customers. And don't forget to ask for their name, too--rush hour is practically here."

"Oh, right." And, as painfully awkward and forced it looked, the barista gave Oikawa one of the most endearing smiles he'd ever seen. "What's the name for the order?"

"Oikawa Tooru."

Kageyama nodded thoughtfully, before dashing off to get the glasses. Oikawa, feeling a bit dazed, walked back over to the table where Iwaizumi was studying.

"Did you see they have a new barista?" Oikawa asked, leaning on the edge of the table. Iwaizumi didn't bother to spare a glance--he was too engrossed in Punnett squares to pay full attention, apparently. " _Hey_ , Iwa-chan, what's more important--genotypes, or me?"

"Genotypes." He said it in half a heartbeat.

Oikawa clutched his chest dramatically, draping himself on his best friend's back, ignoring the _Ow, that fucking hurts!_ he'd elicited. "Iwa-channn, you're so meannn."

"Sorry," Iwaizumi muttered, dragging Oikawa off of him a bit too roughly, slapping him on his shoulder. "But you and I both know we're paying a lot for this school."

Oikawa sighed, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "Yeah, I know."

"But anyways," Iwaizumi looked briefly over to the counter, where Kageyama was presently pouring milk into a mason jar, "yeah, I noticed."

"And you didn't tell me!"

Iwaizumi snorted. "Why does it matter? Akaashi had just mentioned it to me, off-handedly."

Akaashi was another barista--one of their classmates for their genetics class.

Oikawa slumped to the floor, now resting his head on his friend's lap with a pout. "You could've told me he was hot..."

"You poor thing." The sarcasm in Iwaizumi's voice was painfully evident.

Before Oikawa could open his mouth to retort, Kageyama had called out his name to receive his order (to which Oikawa stood up faster than intended, his face flushing as Iwaizumi tried to muffle his snickers with his hand).

In quick, cheery strides, the bio student rested his hands at the edge of the counter, leaning over just slightly, enough to catch the name tag on Kageyama's collared shirt.

"Here you go, Oikawa-san," the barista said, handing him over the two, coffee-filled mason jars. "Hope you--"

" _Smile_ , Kageyama," Asahi chastised.

"Hope you enjoy," Kageyama said, again with a terribly forced smile. And _again_ , it made Oikawa's heart do flips and somersaults.

"Thank you," he said, making sure their fingers just _briefly_ touched as the drinks were exchanged, before adding, " _Tobio-chan_."

The barista immediately went stiff, his hands immediately going to his sides. "N-No problem."

Oikawa wished he could've stayed at the counter just a bit longer, but a quick glimpse at the line behind him told him it would be best to do otherwise, so with a wink, a peace sign, and a click of his tongue, he walked back to the table, placing their drinks next to each other.

Iwaizumi looked physically pained as he saw Oikawa's order of the frothy coffee.

"What?" he asked, taking out his phone to take a picture of their two drinks together. After he took a couple of shots, he groaned discontentedly, moving the decorative succulent into the frame. "It's not like you've tried it anymore."

"It's too sweet," Iwaizumi retorted, ignoring Oikawa's happy _Ah_ _!_ when he finally got a shot he liked. "And _basic_."

"It's not basic, it's _trendy_ ," Oikawa snapped, lowering his phone so that Iwaizumi could see his pointed look. (Iwaizumi's gaze was cast back to the textbook, however.) "And it's sweet, like me! And it looks pretty! Also like me! I'm basically the human equivalent of this thing! Don't give me that look, c'mon, let's take a picture together!"

Reluctantly, Iwaizumi nodded his head, and Oikawa smiled, darting next to him so they could take a selfie.

"Make a funny face!" Oikawa told him, and they both did. After Oikawa pressed the button, they looked at the photo, immediately breaking out into uncontrollable laughs, probably a bit _too_ loud for the setting they were in. Iwaizumi's nose was scrunched, his eyebrows knit together as he gave Oikawa an exaggerated, judgmental side-eye. Meanwhile, Oikawa had his tongue stuck out, his chin framed in the nook of a finger gun. They zoomed in on each other's faces, making teasing remarks like _God, you're so ugly! Eww!_ until Oikawa finally exited the photos app to post it on his Instagram. He hated to admit it, but he always liked the small rush of serotonin he got whenever he saw notifications of likes roll in almost immediately.

Oikawa set his phone aside, facedown, bringing his drink to his lips as he tried to sneak in another glance at the barista. He was already busy talking to another customer, and really, his lack of people skills were beginning to show, with his lack of eye contact, and constant stoic expression.

 _Ah, well, it adds to his charm,_ Oikawa thought.

"Oikawa," Iwaizumi said, and the other responded with a small turn in his head. "What did you get for problem 1C again?"

Oikawa hummed as he rummaged through the pages of his notebook. "Ah--30.1% chance."

"For carrying sickle-cell?"

"Yep."

"Just .1 at the end?"

"Sig figs," Oikawa reminded.

"Yeah, but... the smallest one has four, and it was multiplication at the end, so..."

Oikawa looked over at the problem Iwaizumi pointed to in the textbook, and he groaned. "Oh, _fuck me_!"

The study session carried on like that, as Iwaizumi studied about hereditary diseases and Oikawa reviewed gene alteration and DNA replication. There were occasional breaks, playing iMessage games on their phones (Oikawa, pleased, won all the Word Hunt games), and occasional breakdowns of _Fuck, I'm gonna fail!_ that were usually protested with a _No, I believe in you!_

They'd spent a total of two hours--it was around 5:30pm, by now--when Oikawa noticed that Asahi was switching out with Akaashi, exchanging aprons.

"I'll be right back," Oikawa told Iwaizumi, who had his face quite literally buried in his textbook, and after hearing his small grunt of approval, rushed outside to meet Asahi. He called out his name, in which he turned around, startled.

"Oh, Oikawa," Asahi said. "What's up?"

"About that barista..."

"Kageyama?" Asahi paused for a moment, pondering the sudden probing. "He's new, sorry, if you didn't like his customer servi--"

"I didn't mind!" Oikawa quickly said. "Though... I _am_ curious about why you'd hire a guy like him?"

"Oh, um," Asahi shrugged. "He's a work-study student, and I felt bad when others didn't want to hire him, so..."

"Ah."

"Yeah," Asahi said. "Though, I have to admit, once he learns how to do something, he does it really well."

"The coffee he made _was_ really rich," Oikawa noted.

"And. Yeah," Asahi said awkwardly. "Anyways, I have a lecture I have to go to, so if you don't mind..."

Oikawa held up his hands. "Oh, don't let me keep you, then!"

"Y-Yeah. Oh, but before I go, Oikawa..."

"Yes?"

"I know how you get when you're around people who interest you, so..." Asahi shifted his weight. "Don't go terrorizing the poor kid, okay?"

Oikawa was left in shock as the third-year barista turned around and lightly jogged over to the direction of the Humanities buildings.

* * *

It was eleven in the evening, now. Oikawa was lying down on Iwaizumi's bed, a giant Godzilla plushie resting across his stomach, his thumb scrolling down his phone's screen.

"So you're upset that Asahi's worried you're going to try hooking up with Kageyama?" Iwaizumi was playing League of Legends on his computer with some of their old high school buddies.

"Yeah!" Oikawa exclaimed. "I mean, I know I've been _promiscuous_ in the past, but--"

"In the past?" Iwaizumi echoed, skeptical. Oikawa's face reddened.

"I mean, have you ever heard of me hooking up with someone this semester?"

"That fourth-year?"

"We were both drunk!" Oikawa protested, exasperated, throwing his arms out, his phone dropping to the ground. He gingerly picked it back up with a sigh. "We were both drunk at a party, it's not like I deliberately wanted to get it on with her! She just started unbuckling my b--"

" _The point is_ ," Iwaizumi interrupted, muttering a curse under his breath as his character was getting ambushed by some other players, "Kageyama definitely seems... I don't know... shy? Awkward? Introverted? You might overwhelm him just by you being... you."

"That's very hurtful, Iwa-chan."

"Am I wrong?"

Oikawa fell silent.

"And also," Iwaizumi continued, swiveling his chair around as the match ended, "Kageyama's personality is _definitely_ not the type you've been with. You know, the others were more outgoing and extraverted."

"You're gonna make me cry," Oikawa muttered, staring back at the selfie he and Iwaizumi had taken together earlier that day. He zoomed in, just to make himself laugh, when there, in the background, he saw Kageyama looking at them in the background with a frown.

Oikawa sat up so quickly, he got a head rush.

"Iwa-chan! Look!" Oikawa pointed to Kageyama. "That look! Is he jealous?"

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "No, that's just his usual expression. He always looks like he wants his life to end."

" _Iwa-chan_ , don't be so rude!"

Iwaizumi shook his head, taking Oikawa's phone from him and turning it off. "Go back to your room and go to bed, Tooru. You're _litera_ _lly_ driving me insane."

* * *

The next day, in the early afternoon, Oikawa was at the Academic Resource Center, a modestly-sized room on the second floor of the library. It was decent--the walls were a calming cream, the windows were tall and let in a happy amount of sunlight, and there were various plants scattered about. Oikawa worked as a tutor there, primarily helping students out with editing their essays, or helping them with mathematics, or suggesting new study habits and approaches. Usually, it would be busier, and he'd have one of his co-workers, like Kenma, at one of the tables, but a lot of students were in the middle of taking exams at this hour.

Oikawa sighed, leaning back in his chair, cleaning the lens of his glasses. Normally, he had on contacts, but he woke up feeling too tired to do much of his usual morning routine.

The thing was, Oikawa _knew_ he was relatively known across campus for hooking up with a lot of students. But he'd already began to grow tired of it, of the lack of _real_ intimacy between him and whoever he was getting fucked by. As much as he enjoyed getting railed (or doing the railing, whatever), it began to feel like going through the same, mechanical motions. Not that he didn't _like_ the people he slept with--bless him, they were all angels--but he only liked them in a somewhat platonic, unromantic way. And the automatic label, of him only being interested in someone because he wanted to hook up with them, was also beginning to wear down on him. It grew to a point when he began receiving messages from students he hadn't even talked with before, he hadn't even known _existed_ , sending unwanted remarks and asking for a one-night stand. He agreed with it, once, but getting dicked down by someone he barely knew anything about was something he'd never try again. He felt like he was just a piece of meat.

And how he felt about Kageyama was _different_ , too. The barista made him feel a sense of fondness, of wanting to know more, that ran deeper than the feelings he'd felt between him and the people he'd hooked up with.

 _It_ is _different, right?_ Oikawa asked himself.

The door jingled, breaking Oikawa out of his thoughts, and he quickly put his glasses back on. He blinked a couple of times, his gaze adjusting to the person who was standing in the doorframe, and his mind numbed.

It felt like exactly how he'd felt when he ordered his dalgona coffee. Someone else was next to him, probably Asashi or Akaashi or whatever, but he was too caught up on the other student to pay attention to them. Or care, really.

"Oh." The small exclaim alone felt like it had to be dragged from his throat. "Tobio-chan."


	2. Iced Americano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ty for all the support!! enjoy :D

"Tobio-chan."

All Kageyama could do was stare dumbly at the tutor in front of him. _God_ , he already had a crush on the guy, but him with _glasses_?

 _Too unfair_.

He felt _too_ flustered. He wanted to run out of the room, to avoid all the sudden stress, but Asahi's strong grip on his shoulder told him it'd be pointless. And, for the first time in his life, Kageyama wished he'd started studying harder.

* * *

It started all the way in orientation--since he came from a family with a low income, he'd been invited to join a program that served for helping those students in need by having upperclassmen (who were also in the same situation) as a student advisor. Kageyama had been placed in a group with his _extremely_ hyperactive roommate named Hinata, an irritating, four-eyed prick he didn't even _want_ to name, and his somewhat timid partner-in-crime, Yamaguchi. Their student advisors were second-year Nishinoya Yuu and Tanaka Ryuunosuke. They seemed nice enough, but... their energy level was more on the same wavelength with Hinata's than his and the others', to say the least.

"Did you turn in your financial aid forms?" Nishinoya asked, as the group stepped into the shade of a large tree. They'd just finished playing icebreakers, so the late-summer heat was particularly unforgiving.

The first-years nodded their heads weakly, throwing themselves onto the grass with a groan.

Nishinoya frowned, crossing his arms. "Gu--"

" _Guys_!" Tanaka suddenly interrupted, his loudness making everyone jump. _How_ those two could still have energy (outshining _Hinata's_ , of all people), Kageyama didn't want to know."If you could have a _bit more_ enthusiasm for your upperclassmen..."

" _Yes_!" Hinata yelled. Kageyama rolled his eyes.

"You dumbass, we can barely hear you. Get your face out of the grass."

Immediately, Hinata raised his head. "Who're you calling dumbass, dumbass?"

"Anyways!" Nishinoya said. "Let's talk about on-campus jobs. There's a lot of options that cater more to work-study students, but, me and Tanaka recommend the, uh..."

The two second-years exchanged glances with sly grins.

"Being a library receptionist," Tanaka finished.

Hinata pouted. "It sounds boring."

"Perfect for Kageyama then." It was Tsukki who'd made the side comment. Kageyama wanted to punch him in the face.

"No, no, no, _shh_ ," Tanaka hushed. "You don't get it--if you take the midday shifts, when most students' classes are going on, you _literally_ get paid for doing nothing!"

" _Aaaanddd_ ," Nishinoya added proudly, his hands on his hips, "all of the girls on campus are _super_ cute. So whenever they go up to check something out, it's _literally_ a free pass to talk with them! Just be careful not to get hired as a shelver, though--you have to figure out whatever the hell the call numbers mean."

"I don't think it's that complicated," Tsukki said.

Hinata cupped his hands around his mouth. "Nerd!"

"Are... are there other jobs?" Yamaguchi asked.

"I mean," Tanaka began, "you could work at the dining hall or one of the coffee shops. Those ones get busy, though."

"You'll still get to talk with the cute girls," Nishinoya said. "Although... you won't get paid just for shitting around."

"Th-That's fine," Yamaguchi said. "I'd hate not being productive."

Hinata cupped his hands around his mouth, again. "Nerd _\--OOF_!" Tsukki had elbowed him in his side.

"I think all the other groups are starting to head to the auditorium now," Nishinoya said. "Okayokayokay, c'mon guys, we don't wanna get stuck in the back row, right?"

The first-years could only shrug.

Orientation was rough, but trying to get hired was _rougher_. Kageyama ended up getting more rejection e-mails than rejection letters from schools he'd applied to, and it was _seriously_ beginning to wear him down.

By now, he was in the middle of his fifth attempt--applying as a barista at a coffee shop.

"So," Asahi began, his hands fidgeting with the mug of coffee he'd made. Kageyama stared at his own drink, a hot chocolate. (Prior to the interview, Asahi told Kageyama he'd make him any drink on the menu, on the house, just for being interested in applying.) "We have a policy of workers getting one free drink per shift. What would you do if you saw a co-worker breaking that rule?"

Kageyama paused, tilting his head in thought. "Call the cops. Obviously."

Asahi blinked. "Wh--"

"I mean, they're _stealing_ , right?"

"You're not wrong..." Asahi's voice trailed off. "But you can always tell your manager, first, or try to talk it out with them _before_ calling the police..."

Kageyama nodded, pursing his lips. _Maybe this'll be my fifth rejection..._

"And, about organizing our stock," Asahi continued awkwardly, "what skills do you think you can bring to improve that aspect of our workspace?"

Again, Kageyama paused, trying not to fuck up his answer, though he couldn't help but say, "I mean, cleaning is cleaning, right? That's easy."

"Ah."

An awkward silence quickly enveloped the two.

"How many other places did you apply to again?" Asahi finally asked.

"This is my fifth attempt."

"Fifth attempt," Asahi echoed.

More awkward silence. Kageyama took a sip of his chocolate, choking slightly when he'd burned his tongue on the hot liquid.

"Well!" Asahi said, giving Kageyama a big smile. "Send me your times of availability, and hopefully, we'll get you started on training by next week. Does that sound good?"

The younger student could only stare. He placed his mug down on the table before it could slip out of his hands. "Wh... what?"

"You're... you're hired."

Kageyama realized his mouth was agape, and he quickly shut his jaw. "Really?"

"Y-Yes..."

Kageyama immediately stood up, his knees banging against the edge of the table, nearly knocking the liquid out of their cups. He quickly bowed, a perfect 90° angle, making Asahi laugh awkwardly. "Thank you very much, sir!"

Asahi sheepishly waved his hands. "It's fine, it's fine..."

But Kageyama couldn't help the repeated "thank you"s coming out of his mouth.

* * *

_Tuesday, October 15th, 3:27pm_

dumbass roomie (hinata): WOWOWOWWOW good luck on  
ur first shift kageyama!!

don't fuck up

^O^)/

_Tuesday, October 15th, 3:27pm_

I won't!

凸(^O^

But then Kageyama looked up to see one of the most beautiful men he'd ever seen.

 _It was unfair_ , he thought. _Unfair._

Even after the customer--Oikawa--left, and even as Kageyama continued to talk to the other customers, continuing to get scolded by Asahi for not smiling enough, the words of Oikawa continued to echo in his brain like a broken record player.

_Tobio-chan._

God, the fucking wink _alone_ was enough to drive him crazy. He was so irritatingly handsome--words were harder than usual to get out of his throat. His brown hair, even if it was a bit messy, looked so _perfect_ , and his jawline looked so frustratingly _sharp_ , and his fucking _hands_ and _arms_...

Kageyama didn't want to let his mind run off with _that_ sort of daydream, so he focused all of his brainpower into his customer service.

But as he finally got a brief break, due to an indecisive customer staring at the menu with her eyebrows knit in concentration, Kageyama managed to get a glimpse of Oikawa again, and--

 _Ah_.

He didn't want to say that he was _disappointed_ regarding someone he'd just met and barely knew, but staring at Oikawa draping himself over his friend... surely they were dating, right?

Kageyama was literally about to bang his head against the counter, feeling so _stupid_ about even wasting his energy about thinking he'd have a chance with _anyone_ , but the customer's timid voice as she ordered an iced americano stopped him.

"Y-Yes, coming right up."

* * *

"What's wrong, Kageyama?" He and Hinata were in their room, unwinding as the day came to an end. They were both sprawled out on their respective beds, Hinata playing Animal Crossing on his Switch, and Kageyama facedown, buried in his pillow. "Or I guess... Emo-yama?"

"Shut _up_ , I'm not in the mood."

"Don't tell me you actually fucked up at work."

"I _didn't_."

Kageyama seriously wished that he had his own room to himself so that he could brood in peace. He kept replaying the moment of what happened earlier, of Oikawa, of his wink and peace sign and stupid, stupid smile, of himself being flustered at actions that he _thought_ was flirting, of himself feeling unnecessarily _jealous_ of the friend of Oikawa, the friend of someone he'd literally only met for a _minute_ , at most. He replayed the memory of him watching the two tease each other, messing around with each other, encouraging each other for whatever exam they were studying for--

A knock sounded at the door, and both Kageyama and Hinata looked up.

"It's me. Asahi."

"Who?" Hinata asked, lowering his Switch, watching as Kageyama pulled himself off of his bed.

"The guy who hired me," Kageyama mumbled, putting on his slippers as he opened the doorknob. He couldn't read Asahi's face. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

"Of course," Kageyama said, stepping out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. _Did I really do_ that _bad of a job today? Am I getting fired already?_ "What's up?"

"I know you're working a lot of shifts, so schoolwork is hard right now," Asahi began, "but one of your professors and a dean e-mailed me about taking away some of your shifts, just because... um..."

Kageyama stared at him.

"Your grades are _really_ bad right now," Asahi finally said. "And they say you need to focus more on _that_ than your job. Especially as a first-year."

"But... I need money."

"I know you do," Asahi sympathized, "which is why I was wondering if you'd let me bring you to a tutor tomorrow?"

"If it's what'll help me keep all my shifts, then of course."

"Okay," Asahi breathed. "The tutors here are all students, so you don't have to worry about some scary, middle-aged guy, alright? They're all nice, I promise."

Kageyama nodded his head.

"So tomorrow? We'll meet up? And I'll walk you there, show you where it is?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright, then," Asahi said. "Good night, then."

"Good night, Asahi-san."

* * *

And now, here they were.

"Hey, Oikawa-san," Asahi said. His voice was stilted. "I didn't know you were working this shift?"

"I mean... Kenma's taking an exam right now."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"Well... Kageyama needs help with his schoolwork, so..."

"You don't have to worry, Asahi!" Oikawa suddenly said, proudly pointing to himself with his thumb. "They wouldn't hire me if I was bad at tutoring!"

Asahi let out a sigh, and he turned to Kageyama. "Okay, are you good?"

"Yeah," Kageyama managed. "I'm good. Thanks."

"I'll see you later, then."

As soon as Asahi left the room, closing the door behind him, an incredibly suffocating silence wafted between the two.

"Tobio-chan," Oikawa finally said, in his cheerful voice, that stupidly irritatingly heart-melting smile on his face, gesturing to the seat across from him, "you can have a seat, it's fine, I don't bite!"

Silently, Kageyama obeyed, flustered _again_ by the nickname. He couldn't look at Oikawa in the eye at _all_ , especially with those glasses on.

"So, what shall we troubleshoot today?"

"Um." Kageyama pulled out some graded statistics tests, nudging them across the table to the other.

Even Oikawa's cheery gaze couldn't mask his horror when he saw the messy, red pen. "Huh. Wow."

"Yep."

"Yep," Oikawa repeated. "If you don't mind me asking, Tobio-chan..."

"Yes?"

"How did you get accepted into this school?"

The words were like arrows shooting into Kageyama's back.

"Well, you see..." Kageyama stammered. "I'm not stupid, I swear--"

"I wasn't implying you are, but go on."

"I just..." Kageyama's voice trailed off. "I mean, in elementary, I actually skipped a grade once."

Oikawa's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, but, due to, um, 'behavioral issues,' I got sent back down."

"Huh," Oikawa said.

"And ever since then, getting good grades was a hit-or-miss."

Oikawa hummed, biting on the end of his pen. "How do you usually study?"

"Kind of... sporadically. Like, whenever I feel like it."

A light began to twinkle in Oikawa's eyes. He leaned over the table. "So... you're saying you need better time management?"

"I guess?"

"Hmm," Oikawa said. "Then, why don't we have study dates twice a day? That way, I'll make sure you're not getting off-track."

Kageyama blinked. _Study... dates?_ "But... you'd be working off-shift, then?"

"That's fine!" Oikawa assured him. "You'll just treat me to coffee, then."

"Like... for free?" Kageyama was sure this was a violation of one of the rules.

"Well," Oikawa said, sitting back in his seat, "no. I just like the coffee you make, Tobio-chan. That dalgona was _perfect_! Exactly like how I thought it'd taste."

"Th-Thanks," Kageyama managed. 

"So?" Oikawa asked, holding his hand out for a handshake. "A deal?"

"Yeah," Kageyama said, and he shook his hand.

Their hands stayed connected a moment longer after that, and as Oikawa pulled his hand away, Kageyama could still feel his touch lingering on the palm of his hand.

"Anyways," Oikawa started, clicking his pen, adding even more ink to the terrorized statistics papers, "let's start off by explaining why _this_ breaks all the rules of probability..."

Kageyama nodded his head, listening. And as the session went on, and as Kageyama's gaze kept flicking back and forth between the math equations and Oikawa's face, he'd forgotten why he was so stressed about having him as a tutor in the first place--as if he'd never had any worries at all.

* * *

The next day, Kageyama was helping Akaashi out with cleaning the coffee shop after hours.

He was sweeping all the dirt on the floor into the dustpan Akaashi was holding in place, when the older barista said, "Asahi-san told me Oikawa was your tutor yesterday. How was it?"

"Oh, it was... fine."

"Really?" They made eye contact at that moment, and there was something so _intense_ by the way Akaashi was staring at him, like he was trying to read his mind. "Nothing happened?"

"No," Kageyama said, focusing his attention down at the floor. "Why?"

"He's just... sort of notorious for sleeping with nearly everyone on campus," Akaashi explained. "I didn't want him to do anything _weird_ to my precious underclassman."

"Ah," was all Kageyama could say. _Though I really wouldn't mind..._

"Do you have a crush on him?" Akaashi suddenly asked. When Kageyama didn't say anything, he let out a small chuckle. "I'm guessing that's a yes?"

"I thought he was dating that, um..." Kageyama made pointy motions with his hands, trying to explain Oikawa's friend's hair.

" _Iwaizumi-san_?" Akaashi full-on laughed at that. " _Please_ , those two would rip each other's guts to shreds." Then, as he dumped the contents of the dustpan into the trash bag, his smile faded. "But, just so you know... Oikawa hasn't kept up a single relationship for more than three days, so I'm just warning you..."

"Mhm," Kageyama said, putting his broom away. "No daydreaming?"

"Unless you want to get your heart broken, then yeah, no daydreaming."

Kageyama felt a cold pang against his chest.

"That's fine," he said, forcing out a laugh as he stepped outside, leaving the door open as Akaashi turned off the lights.

"Yeah?" the other asked, taking out the coffee shop's keys. "Why's that?"

"I mean," Kageyama began, watching as Akaashi turned the lock, "his smile kinda irritated me, anyways."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope that was ok? sorry if it felt lacking, i needed to go back in time a bit to explain kageyama's background T_T


	3. Caramel Macchiato

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!! sorry for this update being a bit shorter, and sorry for it taking a while!! ive kept writing n then rewriting it bc i wasn't happy with it but i hope this manages to satisfy u all!!

Oikawa swore that what he saw right now, sitting across from a Kageyama who was intensely staring at his notes, the morning lighting framing his face just _perfectly_ , belonged to be a painting, immortalized in a museum. His skin looked so _delicate_ , and his eyelashes captured the sun-rays so _gently_ , and the way his lips looked so pink, so soft, so _kissable_...

 _God_ , he was whipped.

"Tobio-chan," Oikawa suddenly asked, causing Kageyama to jump. "How is it?"

"Um..." Kageyama looked back down at his notes with a frown, his eyebrows knitting together. "It's a bit--"

"Oh, no, sorry," Oikawa laughed lightly, resting his chin on his hand. "I mean, how's your first semester so far?"

"Oh, well..." The younger student began to fidget with the glass of his drink--an iced caramel macchiato. They both had the same drink, actually--since Oikawa wanted one, Kageyama figured he'd make a little extra for himself as well. "It's not... _bad_."

"But?" Oikawa pressed.

"I have a good roommate and all, and I'm sure my student advisors are chill, too, but--" Kageyama cut himself abruptly, his ears turning red. "I don't know. Whatever."

" _Tobio-chan_ _nn_ ," Oikawa whined, sinking lower and lower in his seat until he was barely above the level of the table. "Don't be so _difficultttt_."

"You're a _tutor_ , not a therapist," Kageyama retorted sharply, his grip on his pencil tightening. "Just shut up. _Please_."

Oikawa blinked, slowly pushing himself back up. There was something different about him today. He seemed more on edge, like any word would make him explode. That was when he noticed the way he was bouncing his leg quickly, the way he kept chewing on his bottom lip.

The older student raised his glass up to his lips, trying not to be so obvious that he was trying to read him. Then, when he set it down, he asked, softly, "Did something happen yesterday?"

"No."

A sigh. " _Tobio-chan_."

The younger student still didn't say anything, and Oikawa, frustrated, turned back to his phone.

"Someone told me," Kageyama finally began, hesitant, his gaze not tearing away from his notebook, "that you haven't kept up a relationship for more than three days."

Oikawa's mind drew a blank. "What the _fuck_?"

"Sorry!" Kageyama quickly said, his hands up in apology. "Sorry. It just... bothered me."

"Geez, Tobio-chan," Oikawa sighed, turning his head to look out the window. "You snap at me for acting like a therapist, and then you judge my love life."

"S...Sorry," Kageyama said again.

"Well," Oikawa began, taking another sip of his drink, "do you want to tell me _why_ it bothered you?"

The other student, avoiding eye contact, pretended to take a drink out of his already-empty glass.

"Don't avoid the question," Oikawa scolded, making the other flinch. "Geez." He paused, before adding teasingly, "Does Tobio-chan have a crush on me?"

"Of course not!" Kageyama quickly said, flustered (even more so when Oikawa over-dramatically put his hands on his chest like he'd been shot). "I just mean... I'm just worried about how you're gonna be able to tutor me twice a day if you can't even stay in a relationship that long."

Oikawa froze. He really started crushing on an absolute _idiot_ , didn't he? " _Ow_? I'm worried about how a barista's gonna be able to make the correct coffee ratios when he can't even remember how to draw a fucking box-and-whiskers plot!"

Kageyama gave him the middle finger, and he did the same.

"Anyways," the younger student said, his cheeks still flushed, "just... tell me how to find _r_ again?"

Oikawa sighed, and scooted his seat next to his, opening his mouth to explain.

The next hour was more awkward, more quiet; they barely spoke of any topic that didn't pertain to Kageyama's statistics class.

Finally, the younger student spoke up again. "So... what are you majoring in?"

"Bio," Oikawa said with a peace sign. "I'm planning on becoming a physical therapist."

"Is it... okay if I ask why?"

Oikawa patted his right knee. "I used to play volleyball a lot. I was the team captain, actually, one time in high school. I pushed myself too hard, though, and one day..." He forced out a laugh. "The doctor told me that I shouldn't play anymore."

He was worried that he'd dampened the mood a bit too much, though Kageyama suddenly said, "I used to play volleyball too, when I was little. I loved setting, especially. My grandfather got me into the sport, but then..." He grew silent. Oikawa could connect the dots.

"I'm sorry."

Kageyama just nodded his head.

More silence. More sounds of pencil scribbling on paper, of buttons being pressed on the calculator.

Kageyama seemed to be getting the hang of the problems that he was doing, so Oikawa took out his phone, scrolling down his Instagram feed. He didn't really follow celebrities--it was just classmates and family. 

He paused at a photo of a student he was classmates with last year, Bokuto Kotaro. He was posing with his friend, Akaashi Keiji--though Oikawa was _fairly sure_ they were dating--both of them wearing matching suits. _Got matching outfits with my man for the formal_ 😎🍁, the caption read.

"Ah!" Oikawa said, showing Kageyama the photo, who just squinted, puzzled. "Have you heard of this? The Autumn Formal?"

"...No."

"I think you should go," Oikawa prodded, nudging Kageyama with his shoulder. "You're a first-year, and it's the first big event on campus!"

"It just sounds... stupid."

"What does?"

"Dressing up just to dance with a bunch of strangers in a crowded space."

Oikawa sighed. "That's why you go with your _friends_ , duh! And that's why people pre-game, too--it's more fun when you're tipsy!"

Kageyama was silent.

"If you don't have anyone to go with," Oikawa began, leaning in close to the other student, "do you wanna come with me?"

He held his breath in anticipation--he knew it was a bit obvious that he was flirting with him, that he just wanted an excuse to be with him, and maybe Kageyama knew it, too, from the way he was beginning to redden.

"I'll think about it," was all he said. He looked over at the front door where Akaashi walked in, and he immediately began to pack up his homework.

"Yeah?" Oikawa asked, watching Kageyama as he picked up his apron that he had hung on the back of his chair, watching as he hurriedly tied it around his waist.

Kageyama just gave him a small nod.

"If it makes you feel better," Oikawa started, "Iwa-chan's gonna be with us, too."

The younger student paused for a moment, though one glance from Akaashi had him quickly hurry to the counter, wordlessly.

Oikawa rested his head on Iwaizumi's shoulder, sighing. The two were sitting on the floor, their backs resting against the bed frame of the latter's mattress. Oikawa, wrapped in the blanket he'd brought from his own room, stared blankly at the laptop screen, where they were watching _Ponyo_ together--his cheer-up movie.

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa began, "am I stupid?"

"Not that it's your fifth time asking this today," Iwaizumi replied, passing him the bowl of grapes, "but, yeah. I've known you were stupid since we were in _elementary_ , Oikawa--"

"No, I mean, with Tobio-chan!" Oikawa interrupted, muttering a quick _Thank you_ under his breath as he picked off a grape hesitantly, popping it into his mouth. "Do you think I'm acting too fast?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that question?"

Oikawa blinked, looking at Iwaizumi curiously. "Please?"

"You're so _hopeless_ ," Iwaizumi complained, although he slung an arm around him, giving him a small squeeze. "But anyways... _look_. Like I've said before, you might be overwhelming him?"

Oikawa whined, rolling onto his side to rest on Iwaizumi's lap, ignoring his _Ow! Your shoulder is digging into my thigh!_ "Iwa-channnnnnn."

"Stupidkawaaaaa."

"It's _difficult_ ," Oikawa complained, popping another grape into his mouth. "I'm not used to this sort of thing, Iwa-chan! I need your holy advice."

Iwaizumi groaned, pressing the spacebar on his laptop to pause the movie. "First off, you're sure you _really_ like him?"

" _Yes_!" Oikawa exclaimed. "He's stupid, and I hate him for being so stupid, but also, it's stupidly _endearing_. When he starts stuttering whenever he gets flustered, whenever he bites his bottom lip because he's concentrating really hard, anything he does makes my heart jiggle!"

"Don't... say your heart jiggles."

" _Fine_. Anything he does makes my heart _wiggle_."

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, _anyways_ , secondly, you said he'd think about it?"

Oikawa nodded his head.

"Then that's _good_ ," Iwaizumi said. "You're _not_ scaring him away. Good job."

Oikawa wrapped the blanket around him tighter. "Don't patronize me."

"You look like a mochi."

The other just snorted.

"So until Kageyama replies," Iwaizumi continued, peeling the blanket away from Oikawa's mouth and nose so the damn guy would _breathe_ properly, "with either a yes or no, you won't know, for sure."

"Hm," Oikawa said, staring at the ceiling. "Hmm."

"Now can we _please_ finish this damn movie?"

He nodded his head, sitting up, and Iwaizumi pressed the spacebar, holding Oikawa close to him.

"Hinata--"

Kageyama froze in the doorway, finding himself staring at Hinata, Nishinoya, Tanaka, Tsukki, Yamaguchi, and Yachi (Hinata's classmate from his computer science class) sitting on the floor in a circle, playing Cards Against Humanity. TWICE was playing in the background.

"Kageyama!" Hinata waved his arms excitedly. "Do you wanna join us?"

"N-No thanks."

"What's wrong? You look more pissed off than usual."

"I'm not!" Kageyama snapped, shutting the door behind him. Tsukki whistled.

"Kageyama-kun," Yachi began, laughing nervously, "you can tell us whatever's wrong! We won't judge. Right, guys?"

She turned to the rest, and only Hinata and Yamaguchi maintained eye contact. Kageyama groaned, throwing himself onto his bed.

"What happens in the room stays in the room," Nishinoya finally promised.

"Is it about that guy you like?" Hinata probed.

" _Hinata_!" Kageyama exclaimed, sitting up quickly. "Shut up!"

" _What_? We all know you're gay, you're the one who told us that!"

Kageyama just threw his pillow at Hinata's face. Looking at the others, he took a deep breath.

"Say someone asked me to go to the formal with him," he began slowly, quickly gauging the others' reactions. "What do you guys think that means?"

Yamaguchi raised his hand timidly. "Um... I think it kinda sounds--"

"Gay," Tsukki interrupted.

Everyone was silent. Kageyama's heart began to beat faster.

"Okay, so then, what if he quickly added that a friend was coming, too?"

Yachi hummed thoughtfully. "Well... it could just be that he felt too nervous about you... being nervous?"

"But what if..." Kageyama's mind was buzzing. "He's also known for hooking up with a lot of people?"

"Then I guess you're getting dick-- _OW_!" Tsukki rubbed at his hand where Yachi had smacked him. She sighed.

"I'm not sure..." she confessed, sheepish.

"Kageyama," Hinata piped up, hugging the pillow in his lap. "Do you _really_ believe that?"

Kageyama huffed, growing defensive. "But my co-worker--"

"You're not a sheep, right?" Hinata asked. "Who just follows whatever anyone else says? I mean, who cares if he sleeps with a lot of people, right? That's none of our business."

No response.

"What do you like about him, anyways? Are you _sure_ you like him?"

" _Yes_!" Kageyama exclaimed. He wanted to go on about his stupid peace signs and winks, the way he'd always stick his tongue out when he'd be cheeky, the way he was so _outgoing_ and _dramatic_... but they didn't have to hear any of that. "Yes, I _really_ do."

"And you're sure he's a nice guy?"

Kageyama nodded his head.

Hinata shrugged. "Then, that's all you need, right?"

"R-Right..."

"But if he starts making unwanted advances," Tanaka interjected, "then make sure you call campus safety. And don't be alone!"

"Yeah."

"But if you _do_ want it," Nishinoya added, "make sure you use a--"

" _Okay_!" Yachi interrupted, her face flushed. "Okayokayokay, I'm _pretty sure_ Kageyama-kun has had sex-ed, so can we just hurry on with the game?"

"Alright," Hinata agreed. He looked at all the cards, silently ranking them in his head.

Kageyama tuned them out, already visualizing what he was going to wear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again ty for all the support guys :(( it means a lot!!
> 
> ALSO i was thinking :// what social media do u guys use? ive been thinking abt making a twitter....


	4. authors note :(

ok hiiiii.......

first of all, i’m incredibly, incredibly sorry for the sudden lack of updates. :( recently i had finals, and after that i ran into a bunch of issues that affected my mental health, so i wasn’t really in the best headspace to write a fairly-written update.

i was wondering if any of you guys are still interested in this fic? and if so, would you mind if i just published it as a really long one-shot? there’ll be a little bit of rewrites and story changes, and i feel like publishing it all in one go is what’ll be fair to you guys :( ok please let me know again thank you for the support on the first three chapters im really really sorry!!


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